Cumberland School of Law team in national trial advocacy finals

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- -- A Samford University Cumberland School of Law team will compete next week in the national finals of the American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition. The finals will be held in Santa Monica, Calif., April 10-13.

The Samford team advanced to the finals by winning the regional competition March 20-23 in Atlanta. The team is made of John Space, of Austin, Texas; Rush Thrift, of Seneca, S.C.; Spenser Templeton, of Gadsden; and Matt Woodham, of Montevallo, according to a press release from Cumberland.

At the national finals, Cumberland will face teams of law students that won other regional competitions, according to the competition website. Those teams are from: Syracuse University, Chicago-Kent College of Law, University of Akron, Stetson University, South Texas College of Law, Belmont University, New York University, Drake University, Duquesne University, Charlotte School of Law, Loyola Marymount University, California Western School of Law, and the University of Maryland.

Another Cumberland team was second in the region. That included Jessica Brookshire, Snellville, Ga.; Rebecca Hall, Huntsville; Ben Odendah, Huntsville; and Carl Williams, Murray, Ky.

Cumberland School of Law was the national AAJ competition champion in 2012, 2008, 2000, 1987 and 1984, and placed second in 2009. In 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2004, as well as nine more times dating back to 1982, Cumberland teams won the regional competition, according to the Cumberland press release.

Cumberland School of Law's current teams are coached by Mike Rasmussen, a 1975 alumnus and 26-year advocacy coach with four national titles. Rasmussen was a federal prosecutor and is now a local attorney in private practice.